Who's It Gonna Be?
by spiedermanrox1981
Summary: What happens when a girl running from her past crosses paths with none other than the King of Brooklyn?
1. Meet Scatter

Ch. 1

It had been a good day for Spot and his newsies. He had managed to sell all his papes in record time as usual and they had spent the rest of the day swimming and goofing around. The sun was just starting to set as he got back to the lodging house. He was just about to head in when he heard a small whimper and harsh laughter. He whipped his head around and realized it had come from the alley to his left. His hand tightened around his cane almost subconsciously as he walked towards the laughter.

"Please stop," she pleaded as the man pushed her against the wall and started to undo her shirt buttons. She tried to fight him off but he punched her in the face and started laughing. She heard footsteps approaching, but was too scared to look up until she heard a new voice.

"Get away from her!" Scatter looked up and saw him. Her knight in shining armor. She had to warn him, this guy had a knife.

"Be careful! He's got a knife!" The man released her and faced the young man in front of him. They stared at each other, one pair of eyes drunk and shifty, the other pair cold and focused. Spot stepped toward the guy and grabbed the arm that was holding the knife. He knocked the knife out of his hand and slammed him against the wall.

When he stepped toward the guy again as he was lying on the ground, the man stood up and bolted down the street. He watched the guy run away until he heard crying behind him and remembered the girl. He turned around and studied her for a moment. She had blond hair and was sporting the beginnings of a black eye and a bloody nose. She was a delicate little thing, he could tell that much. He stood there for a moment before speaking.

"What's your name, girl?"

She looked up at him as she wiped away her tears. "My name is Margaret Elizabeth Collins. Most call me Scatter though.

"My name is Spot, Spot Conlon." I'm the leader of the Brooklyn newsies."

"I've heard of ya." She stood up, her knees shaking a bit. She spit in her hand and stuck it out. "Good to finally meet ya, Spot."

He also spit in his hand and grabbed hers in a firm shake. "Same here, Scatter. So how did you end up on my territory?"

She took a deep breath as she thought about the past 6 hours.

"I got lost trying to find a guy they call Cowboy. Then that man started following me and before I knew it, I was in this alley."

Spot smirked as he listened to her story. She glanced at him and smiled shyly back at him.

"Well Scatter, it just so happens I know the guy you're looking for." He's over in Manhattan and I can take you there if you want."

Relief crossed her face and she threw her arms around him, taking him by surprise. He stood there as she was hugging him, not sure what to do. He had never been hugged like that before, most people were too afraid of him to dare touch him. She finally let go and he stared down at her.

"Ok, Scatter, I'm gonna take you to Jack tomorrow, but its getting late and your gonna need a safe place to sleep tonight. You can come and stay with me for the night."

She was once again overcome with relief and tried to hug him again, but he jumped back. She looked up at him startled. He shrugged.

"I don't really do the whole hugging thing, its part of my image."

"Oh, ok."

"Let's head in."

He started walking and she followed him into the lodging house.


	2. Scatter meets the gang

Ch. 2

"Psst! Psst! Scatter, wake up!" Scatter felt someone nudge her, and she opened her eyes and sat up with a yawn. She looked around in surprise as the events from last night came back to her. She had almost been raped but she was saved by her knight. She looked up to see him standing there.

Spot was standing right by the bed, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Come on girl, we need to get going."

"Are you taking me to find Cowboy?"

"Yes, but first you are gonna meet my newsies. Now get dressed!"

He turned and walked away, so she could get dressed.

Ten minutes later, she walked downstairs and saw him sitting with about 20 guys and 5 or 6 girls. All eyes turned to her as she walked up to them.

Spot stood and motioned her over to him. He led her to a group of ten sitting together.

"Ok guys, this is Scatter. Scatter, this is Stilts, Skunk, Scoop, Vibe, Diva, Tornado, Jinx, Stats, and Lava. These are my top newsies."

Scatter blushed as she awkwardly said hi to all of them. She noticed that Tornado kept staring at her suspiciously, almost like she was jealous.

She had no time to ponder this as Spot suddenly spoke up, "we should probably get going. It takes a bit to get to Manhattan and its gonna take some time to track Jack down."

She nodded and they headed out.


	3. Jack Kelly aka Cowboy

Ch. 3

Spot didn't say anything as they walked along but he knew that Scatter was thinking about what had happened the night before. He snuck a glance at her and wondered how she had ended up in such a bad spot. He noticed her eyes turn towards him and he turned his eyes to the bridge in front of them.

She was very confused. She had sensed his eyes on her and yet, he refused to meet her eyes. Was it about that girl, Tornado? She had seemed sorta jealous when they met. 'Stop it, Maggie!' she told herself sternly. She shook these thoughts out of her mind and focused on why she was here. She needed to find this Jack guy. He was the only one who could help her find her sister.

They continued along in silence and got to Manhattan. Spot started taking her around to the places Jack liked to frequent. They had no luck at first, but then Spot walked over to a tall guy with a red bandanna and cowboy hat in Central Park and motioned Scatter along with him.

"Hey Jacky Boy!"

The guy smiled and they spit shook. "Well, look who left Brooklyn."

Spot rolled his eyes. Jack laughed, then noticed Scatter.

"Who's your new girl? I thought you was with Tornado!"

Scatter blushed as they turned to look at her. She spit in her hand and stuck it out towards Jack. "I'm Margaret Elizabeth Collins. Everyone calls me Scatter. Nice to meet you."

He smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Jack Kelly, everyone calls me Cowboy."

Jack turned back to Spot, "so what brings you two here?"

"Scatter was looking for you, and she got chased into Brooklyn where she was beat up and almost raped. I found her and told her I knew ya and would bring her to find you."

Jack's eyes widened with shock and then narrowed in concern as he listened to Spot. As Spot finished, both sets of eyes turned to Scatter. She blushed when she realized they were staring. She turned to Jack, "I need you to help me find my sister! We got separated 1 week ago and I've been trying to find her ever since."

Jack stared at her for a few minutes, then spoke up, "What's she look like?"

"She looks just like me, we're twins. Please help me!"

Jack nodded thoughtfully, than started walking. He motioned for them to follow him as he headed towards the statue he knew would be surrounded by his newsies.


	4. The Manhattan Newsies

Ch. 4

Jack continued leading them through Manhattan and finally stopped at a statue surrounded by guys laughing and joking around. They stopped when they noticed him standing there. He smiled as they all surrounded him and started chattering. He kept trying to talk over them until finally he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. They all stopped and stared at him.

"Ok guys, I need your help! This here is Scatter, and she's looking for her twin sister. They got separated a week ago and she is desperate to find her!

Scatter, this is Race, Blink, Crutchy, Bumlets, Snipeshooter, Swifty, Mush, Skittery, Boots, Pie Eater, Snitch, and Davey."

They all waved as they were introduced and she smiled back. They all turned to Jack as he started talking again.

"Ok, I want you guys to split up and look for a girl identical to Scatter."

I'm gonna stay here and Spot is gonna go with Scatter. The rest of you can either lok in pairs or by yourself. If you find her, bring her right back here.

Come back here in a hour either way."

They all nodded and headed in separate directions. Spot and Scatter headed east walking down alleys and checking in empty warehouses. Spot could tell she was upset, as he studied her out of the corner of his eye. He prided himself on being able to read people. He sensed there was something she was holding back from everyone but he didn't want to push her about it. She would tell when she was ready. They continued searching for the rest of the hour then they started heading back. They made it back to the statue and Jack turned to them smiling, as he stepped aside revealing a mirror image of Scatter.


	5. Scatter and Chatter

Ch. 5

Scatter squealed and leapt forward to hug her sister, who grinned and started talking a mile a minute. They stood there and chatted excitedly for about five minutes and than Jack cleared his throat to get their attention.

They both turned toward Jack and the other newsies and Scatter smiled apologetically.

"Oh, sorry guys! Jack, everyone, this is my sister, Chatter! Thank you so much for finding her! Who found her by the way?"

Blink stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Chatter's face. "I found her…….wait, Scatter and Chatter?!"

Scatter and Chatter laughed till they cried. They finally caught their breath as the newsies just stood there watching them in silent amusement.

Chatter finally spoke up. "Yes, we are Scatter and Chatter. I'm the more talkative one and she is the clumsier one. Thank you for helping us find each other again. I was afraid we'd never see each other again."

She glanced around and noticed them looking intently at her and Scatter.

"Why are you looking at us like that? Who are you guys anyways, if you don't mind me asking?"

Scatter grinned sheepishly as she realized she hadn't made the introductions.

"Sorry, sis, I forgot to introduce you. This is Jack, Race, Mush, Crutchy, Boots, Bumlets, Swifty, Snipeshooter, Skittery, Davey, Snitch, Blink, and this guy over here is Spot! Spot saved me from getting raped last night and he found me a place to sleep for the night."

Chatter nodded politely at each one as they were introduced and she noticed Blink couldn't keep his eyes off her. She gasped when she heard how Spot had saved her sister and she walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON SPOT!!!!!!!!!"


	6. Incoming Tornado

Ch. 6

Spot knew that voice. That voice meant trouble. He turned and saw everyone's eyes on the angry girl stalking towards them. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance as she stopped walking and got right in his face.

"Hi Tornado, how was selling today?" he asked, with a calm voice, but Jack and the others sensed the rage slowly leaking to the surface. Tornado could as well, and she stepped back involuntarily, fear flashing in her eyes for a split second before jealousy took over.

"Why was that slut kissing you? I knew that she would be nothing but trouble! You're my boyfriend Spot, not hers!"

Spot's eyes flashed with anger as his hand closed on his cane, tightening until his knuckles were white. He stepped toward Tornado and glared at

her until she backed up in fear. With a satisfied nod, he let go of the cane and took deep breaths to calm himself down while Chatter stalked towards Tornado in anger.

"Who the hell are you and why did you call me a slut? I don't even know you!"

Jack stepped in before things got too out of control. "Ok how about we all step back and relax. Chatter, this is Tornado, Spot's girlfriend and sister to Bumlets. Tornado, this is Chatter and Scatter, our new _**friends**_," he said emphasizing the word friends.

Everyone was silent for a moment while Bumlets took his sister aside and talked to her. "Sis, I think you should know that the only reason Spot brought Scatter back to the Brooklyn lodging house was because he over heard someone trying to rape her in an alley near there. She asked for his help finding Jack, so Jack could help her find her sister Chatter. They were just reunited about 45 minutes ago and Chatter kissed Spot as a thank you for saving Scatter from being raped."

Tornado calmed down considerably as she heard how things went down the way they did. The two of them walked back over to the group. Bumlets caught Spot's eye and nodded to him, signaling everything was good again.


	7. Spot's Dilemma

Ch. 7

Tornado walked up to Chatter and Scatter with a sheepish look on her face. "I'm sorry I got so mad about the kiss. I just really love Spot and I have anger and jealousy problems."

They looked at each other and back at her, then they smiled and nodded. "It's ok," they said in unison. They looked at each other again and laughed, than Tornado joined in laughing.

Spot stood there studying the 3 of them. He knew that Tornado would still have jealous, angry fits. He loved her in part because of that. She had a lot of passion. Another part of him was tired of her doubting how he felt all the time. His eyes shifted to Scatter and he found himself wondering whether she could be what he was looking for. If he could be what she was looking for. He sighed and turned away, looking for Jack.

"Hey Cowboy!" He called out. Jack turned and smiled, walking toward him.

"What's up Spot? Is this the eye of the storm, or are we safe?"

Spot laughed, "I think we're safe. Bumlets knows how to calm her down, even when I can't." He sighed, "I don't know Cowboy, I keep thinking maybe me and her are better off with other people."

Jack looked closely at his friend and realized Spot was serious about this.

"Have you talked to her about this?"

Spot snorted, "No, Jacky boy we haven't. I want to live for awhile longer. Have you and Sarah ever had problems like this before?"

Jack smiled inwardly as his thoughts turned to Sarah. "Sorry buddy, but the two of us are doing pretty good."

Spot looked up at the sky as he rolled a cigarette and lit it. He leaned against the statue as he exhaled the smoke and thought about Brooklyn, Scatter, Tornado and his future.

Jack stood there and studied his hot-headed friend who looked deep in thought. He believed that Tornado was too much like Spot to be good for him. He thought maybe Scatter might be just what Spot needed. Spot hadn't said that he liked Scatter but Jack knew his friend well. He could tell Spot was thinking about her right now, among other things. Jack didn't say a thing as the two stood there each thinking about what the future would bring.

Spot put his cigarette out and walked over to Scatter, Chatter, and Tornado who were chatting like old pals. "So where are you 2 gonna stay? You want to be part of my crew of newsies? If not, maybe Jack has room for you two."

Chatter and Scatter looked at each other, having a nonverbal conversation, before nodding. They turned back to Spot and Scatter said she would like to be a Brooklyn newsie and Chatter wanted to be a Manhattan newsie.

Spot's face gave nothing away as usual but he was grinning inwardly. She wanted to be near him! The four of them walked over to Jack and Spot asked Jack if he had room for one more newsie. Blink shouted yes, and everyone laughed and teased him about Chatter. Jack agreed so Chatter said bye to Spot, Tornado and her sis, and followed Jack and Blink upstairs.

Spot, Tornado and Scatter headed back towards Brooklyn after saying bye to everyone, and Scatter spent the rest of the day getting to know the Brooklyn newsies.


	8. Scatter learns to Sell

A/N: I don't know if anyone is reading my story but I would really like some feedback so please hit that pretty purple button in the corner and send me a review.

Ch. 8

Two Weeks Later: Scatter had settled into life as a Brooklyn newsie with ease. She spent her mornings selling papes with Stilts while learning his secrets on selling papes. Stilts was Spot's best newsie and was good at teaching the newbies how to sell.

Scatter was getting to know the other newsies really well also. There was Tornado, of course. There was also Jinx who fiercely believed in curses and superstitions. Lava, Spot's second in command was brave and strong and she had a short temper much like Spot. Scoop, a young girl with an uncanny knack for knowing everything of importance going on with the different burroughs, was used by Spot as his only female 'bird'. There was Diva, who Scatter sensed had been intimately involved with Spot in the past. She was an aspiring actress who was a newsie not by choice but by force. Stats was a female newsie who had a talent for math and memorizing numbers. She was also the girlfriend to Racetrack.

Vibe and Skunk were best friends and each had a unique gift that helped them sell papes. Vibe was an expert at reading people and was one of Spot's 'birds'. Skunk was kind of a con artist and was very good at twisting people around his finger. He was so named for the white streak of hair in his otherwise brownish black hair.

Scatter and Stilts were walking back to the lodging house as they chatted about their day.

"You catch on quick, I'll give you that." Stilts stated. She glanced at him as she smiled brightly.

"Me and Chatter used to watch the newsies in the Bronx sell their papes and I always felt I could be good at...whoa!" Scatter stopped midsentence as she tripped over her feet and landed on her butt. Stilts snorted as he tried to hold back his laughter and help her get up. She stood up sheepishly and mock glared at him before she started laughing herself.

"Now you know why they call me Scatter."

"I figured as much," he said as they headed in to talk to Spot.


	9. Scatter's Big Secret

Ch. 9

Spot was talking to Scoop with a worried look on his face when Stilts and Scatter walked in. Scatter smiled and started to wave at him when she realized something was bothering him. He waved back at her distractedly as he finished talking to Scoop, then he turned away and headed upstairs. Her smile faded as Spot walked upstairs. She glanced at Stilts then at Scoop before she headed upstairs to find him. She started looking in all the different rooms before she finally found him sitting in a room by himself with his head in his hands. His head shot up as he heard her walking toward him and he glared at her.

"Why are you in my room? Tornado is the only one I let come in here," he snapped. She stood there for a moment before walking over and sitting next to him.

He couldn't believe her nerve. Didn't she know there were lines you just didn't cross with him? Why was she in HIS room on HIS bed?

She sat there quietly as she tried to find something to say. Finally she just reached over and held his hand. He glanced at her before pulling his hand away and standing up. He had never felt that before. That spark he felt when she grabbed his hand. He was tough, he was Spot Conlon, king of Brooklyn. He didn't do things like fall in love. He had Tornado, she was a devoted girlfriend but she never made him feel like this.

Scatter stared silently at his back wondering why she felt that spark when she grabbed Spot's hand. Why didn't he say anything? What was he thinking?

She stared at the ground in confusion before getting up and walking towards the door. She was about to open the door when she felt his hand on her arm turning her to face him. She looked into his eyes and was confused by what she saw there. He had feelings for her. She could see it in his eyes as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

She was stunned but quickly deepened the kiss, knowing that this whole thing was wrong. She couldn't help it though, she felt what he felt. He saved her life, he helped her find her sister, he made her feel things she hadn't felt before.

She finally pulled away and sat down. She couldn't look at him knowing that she had kissed him back even though he had a girlfriend. Not when she was hiding such a big secret from everyone she cared about.

He knelt down and tilted his head so their eyes met. She immediately looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. He finally gave up and started to walk away when she finally spoke.

"I made a mistake. I don't know if I'll ever be able to take it back."

He turned around and looked at her. This time her eyes were looking right at him.

He walked towards her and looked down at her as he finally spoke.

"What do you mean? If it's a mistake, you should be able to fix it."

" Not this time. I did something I'm not proud of." She replied glancing down in shame.

He lifted her chin, "Tell me. Please?"

She nodded and took a deep breath before speaking. "I met this guy Josh about 5 months ago. We liked each other but it wasn't anything serious. Then I met his brother David who was a bad guy. He was cruel and a real scumbag. He liked me I could tell, but I wanted nothing to do with him. He tried to force me to do things with him but I wasn't interested. One night, me and Josh were drinking, him more than me when David came home. David was flat out drunk and he wanted me more than ever. I tried to fight him off but even drunk, he was way stronger than me. Josh had passed out at this point, so he couldn't help. I saw my chance to get away when David went to take off his pants. I got up and tried to run away but he grabbed me again. I grabbed a fireplace poker and stabbed David in the neck. I was in shock about what I had done and..." her voice trailed off and she started crying.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed as he wiped her tears away with the other hand.

She took a deep breath and continued. "I knew that I was in real trouble, but I had Chatter to think about. I took the fireplace poker and put it in Josh's hand then I ran. Josh found me 2 weeks ago and was gonna rape and kill me until you stopped him. He's gonna keep looking for me until he finds me and finishes the job."

Spot listened as she finished the story, his mind reeling from what she told him. He finally looked at her and smiled.

"I won't let him. You're my newsie now, and your gonna be safe from now on."

She smiled and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you Spot."


	10. Breaking Up

Ch. 10

Scatter and Spot walked out of his room laughing only to run right into Tornado who smiled when she saw Spot. Her smile faded when she realized that Spot and Scatter had just come from his room and were standing really close together. She looked from Spot to Scatter and her eyes narrowed as she balled up her fists and took a step toward Scatter. Spot stepped in front of Scatter, confirming Tornado's suspicions. Tornado glared at Spot and he glared back, but then, to her surprise, Spot sighed and told her they needed to talk. They headed into Spot's room and Tornado sat on his bed. Spot paced back and forth as he collected his thoughts.

"Things aren't going well between us," he said as he finally stopped pacing and looked at her. She looked up at him ready to deny it until she saw the look in his eyes. She nodded as she sniffled and started crying. She sat there crying for a few minutes before speaking.

"It's over, isn't it? You like Scatter now."

He hated himself for hurting her like this but she deserved someone a lot better for her than he was. He didn't want to confirm it, but they both knew that things hadn't been good for awhile. He spoke softly, his voice barely more than a whisper as if he was afraid to move on from her.

"_Yes_."

The word hung in the air as they finally looked at each other and smiled sadly. She stood up and hugged him then walked out the door. Spot watched her leave then he laid down on his bed thinking. He laid there for about an hour until someone knocked on his door. Spot opened it and saw Scatter standing there looking nervous. He smiled and let her in. She went and sat on his bed and he sat down next to her. She sighed deeply, then finally just blurted out what she was dying to know.

"What's going on, Spot? Do you like me or are you still with Tornado?"

Spot ran a hand through his hair as he thought about what he wanted the most.

" I like you Scatter, but me and Tornado just broke up. I think we should take it slow for now. I already hurt Tornado as much as I can stand for right now and she's still one of my newsies. Is that okay for now?"

Scatter looked at him as she realized that Spot had two sides. One was the arrogant, tough, streetwise Spot. The other was the sweet, thoughtful, sensitive Spot that had probably only ever been seen by Tornado. She shook her head as she realized she was staring before she noticed that Spot was expecting an answer. He looked upset and got up to walk out the door. She gasped and ran after him pleading with him to stay. She turned him toward her and smiled.

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me Spot. I just want to be with you."

He smiled down at her, relieved and squeezed her hand. They walked down to the main floor of the lodging house holding hands.


	11. A Tentative Friendship

Ch. 11

Spot and Scatter walked downstairs amidst hoots and laughter from his newsies when they saw the two of them holding hands. Spot immediately let go when he realized Tornado was there and she looked a little sad. Scatter was confused until she saw Tornado and nodded as Spot sent an apologetic look at her. She smiled and walked over to Stilts and Lava who were playing poker with Jinx and Scoop. Stats was sitting there as well, but she was watching, not playing. Scatter could tell she really wanted to play and she soon found out why they wouldn't let her play no matter how much she begged.

"No, Stats! We know you don't mean to but you count the cards and that gives you an unfair advantage."

Stats sighed and nodded as she finally gave up. "Ok, ok. I'm gonna head over to Manhattan and hang with Race. Anyone want to come?"

Scatter's face brightened when Stats mentioned going to Manhattan and she nodded excitedly. She really missed her sister and all the others she had met.

"Ok Scatter, me and you will go. Anyone else?"

Scatter saw Spot stand up from another poker table and shoot a look at Stilts, who nodded and said he would go too. Tornado stood and said she wanted to come also. Scatter smiled nervously at Tornado who ignored her and the four of them started to head out. Before Stilts walked out, Spot took him aside and told him to watch out for Scatter, that someone dangerous was looking to hurt her. Stilts promised to keep her safe and then they were on their way.

Stilts and Scatter walked side by side as they approached the Brooklyn Bridge, he noticed she kept glancing around nervously and he remembered what Spot had said.

"You ok?" He finally asked her and she smiled at him and nodded. She was about to say something when Tornado walked up and asked if Scatter and her could talk.

Scatter nodded and walked away with Tornado. They stood looking at the water beneath the bridge. Tornado turned to Scatter and studied her for a minute before speaking.

"Spot and I dated for 3 years. He doesn't really let anyone in very far. With him, you only see what he wants you to see. It took me a year and a half before I could get him to hold my hand around the other newsies. He didn't want to appear weak, and caring deeply about someone is a weakness. I know he cared but it was hard for him. He was used to showing little to no emotion, and then we started dating and he was worried about someone hurting me to get to him. It took me and him a long time to get where you guys seem to be starting out. I guess that makes me a little sad."

Scatter interrupted her. "I see that there are two different sides to Spot. The side that everyone gets to see and the side that only you have seen and im getting to know. He wants us to go slow. He knows he hurt you deeply and he doesn't want to do that anymore. I don't want us to be enemies just because we dated the same guy."

"I don't want that either. It's gonna take some time for me to get used to you and Spot together. I think we should get to know each other and hopefully we can be friends."

Scatter smiled. "I'd like that."

The two of them joined Stats and Stilts and continued on to Manhattan.


	12. Scatter's Concern

Ch.12

Scatter was silent the rest of the walk into Manhattan as she remembered that Spot had seemed kind of worried earlier that day. She walked along wondering what Scoop had told him that had him so worried. She kept her thoughts to herself as Stats nudged her and asked her what she was thinking so hard about.

"Oh nothing, just wondering what Chatter's been up to these past couple of weeks."

"Probably all over Blink, from what I've heard!" Stilts quipped. Scatter narrowed her eyes at him as she folded her arms, her thoughts about Spot forgotten in her anger.

"What's that supposed to mean? Chatter isn't a free-wheeling woman, buster!"

Stilts laughed and held up his hands in surrender as she stalked toward him, furious that he would laugh about something like that.

"Calm down, I just meant I've heard the two of them took an instant liking to each other. I didn't mean anything vulgar by it." Scatter's anger dissipated as she listened to his apology, satisfied that he wasn't insinuating anything.

She nodded at him and he laughed again and threw his arm around her shoulder as they finally made it to Manhattan.

As the four of them headed toward the Manhattan lodging house they heard a voice with an Italian accent call out to them.

"Stats, whatcha doing with them bums?" Race asked teasingly as he walked up and tried to kiss her but she pulled away. She grinned inwardly and threw her arm around Stilts. "Sorry baby, but I'm with Stilts now. Isn't that right Stilts?"

Stilts backed up and looked kind of nervous until Race and Stats laughed and kissed each other. Scatter and Tornado started laughing along with Race and Stats at the look on Stilts face until he started laughing as well.

Race turned his attention to Scatter and Tornado."Welcome back Scatter, nice to see you again. Tornado, how's it going? Bumlets has been kinda worried about you. You might want to go talk to him, he's been in a mood for about a week now."

She nodded and headed inside, while Scatter pulled Race's attention back to her.

"How's my sister been doing? I've been wanting to visit for a week but I've had so much to learn and I couldn't get away until now."

"She's doing well, making a lot of friends. Her and Blink are inseparable lately."

Stilts let out a snort that he tried to cover up with a cough as Scatter glared at him, then turned back to Race with a worried look on her face.

"He wouldn't try anything or force her to do anything she didn't want to do, would he?" She asked anxiously. Race studied her for a minute before he finally spoke, noticing that she was almost afraid of his answer.

"Scatter, Blink would never do anything disrespectful to a woman and we would never let him or anyone do anything forceful to a female. We look out for each other and if someone should harm one of us, that person is kicked out. Jacky boy's orders."

She looked immensely relieved and the four of them headed inside.

Scatter walked into the main room of the lodging house and immediately heard a chorus of voices greeting her, Stilts and Stats. She started glancing around for her sister, then her attention was drawn to the movements she could see out of the corner of her eye. She turned and smiled as Jack walked up and hugged her, then she immediately asked him about her sister.

He pointed up the stairs and said she was playing poker with Snipeshooter, Boots, Blink and Skittery. She thanked him and headed up the stairs, looking for her sister.

Scatter walked into a smoky room and saw her sister right away. The 4 guys saw her approaching and she signaled for them to act like she wasn't there. Chatter was living up to her nickname, her mouth going a mile a minute. The boys could barely hold in their laughter as Scatter crept closer than grabbed Chatter's shoulders and shouted BOO in her ear. Chatter shrieked and jumped as Scatter and the others roared with laughter. Chatter turned to her sister and hugged her than hit her hard on the arm for scaring her so bad.

"OW! Nice to see you too sis."

Scatter and Chatter went for a walk to catch up in private, unaware of the 2 shadows that were following them as they talked. Scatter heard it first, the slow scraping footsteps that gradually sped up as the two of them started walking faster.

They ducked into an alley and hid behind a dumpster only to hear the footsteps stop right in front of them. Scatter pulled Chatter behind her and bravely looked up to see none other than...

A/N: Don't you just hate cliffhangers? Sorry folks but I need to keep you reading so onto the next chapter!


	13. Stilts to the rescue

A/N: Who will Scatter see when she looks up? If your paying attention, you can probably guess already.

Ch. 13

Scatter bravely looked up to see none other than...Josh, of course.

He laughed cruelly as he pulled out the knife and pointed it at her.

"Well looky here! It's my favorite girl, and no savior this time?" He tsked tsked. "Don't worry baby, I won't stab you in the back like you did to me. It's your face I intend to carve." He laughed again and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up.

Scatter winced and gasped in pain then yelled for Chatter to run. Josh's eyes shifted to the other girl and his smile widened.

"It's my lucky day I guess. 2 for 1 deal. Don't go anywhere honey. I'll get to you soon enough, but Maggie gets it first." Josh was so focused on Maggie, he didn't see the second shadow approaching him. Josh raised the knife above his head just as an arm came out of nowhere and twisted Josh's hand behind his back. Stilts knocked the knife out of his hand and kicked it away as 3 bulls ran down the alley behind him and took Josh away.

Scatter and Chatter held tight to each other as they sat there crying. Stilts knelt down and gently squeezed Scatter and Chatter's shoulders. They looked at him and smiled with gratitude. Scatter was the first one to speak. "Were you following us, Stilts?" He nodded.

"Why?"

"Spot wanted me to keep an eye on you. He said that someone dangerous was after you, and I realized he wasn't lying when I saw how scared you were on our walk to Manhattan. I was following you when you two took your walk. Then I saw Josh start to follow you so I ran for some bulls and...you know the rest."

Scatter stood up shakily and kissed Stilts on the cheek, smiling a little as his eyes widened. Chatter kissed his other cheek and they all started laughing, glad that everyone was safe and Josh was locked up. Stilts started walking and the twins followed him back to the lodging house, trying to make themselves more presentable along the way.

Stilts walked into the lodging house, followed closely by Scatter and Chatter. He walked over to Stats and started whispering to her as he gestured towards the twins. She started arguing back pointing toward Race. His eyes narrowed as he whispered something back in a harsh tone, then her eyes widened and she nodded. She walked over to Race and they started talking quietly as Stilts walked over back over to the twins and looked down at Chatter.

"I'm sorry but Spot is gonna want Scatter to come back after I tell him what happened to you two. You're welcome to come back to Brooklyn and spend time with Scatter there, but," he paused as he glanced toward Blink with a smirk, then looked back at Chatter. "Somehow I think you would rather be here than there."

She smiled a little than her expression turned serious as she thought about all that had happened in the past hour and where she wanted to be right now. She then looked at Blink, who smiled at her. She smiled back and knew where she wanted to be. She turned to Scatter and they had one of their silent conversations. They hugged then Scatter turned to Stilts as Chatter walked over to Blink.

"Ok, let's go." Scatter looked around for Stats and saw her hug and kiss Race, then make her way over. She looked at Scatter, concern in her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Stats asked, giving her a big hug. Scatter smiled, "I'm fine, we both are thanks to Stilts. Sorry we're making you leave so soon."

Stats smiled jokingly, "It's ok, I'll figure out some way you can make it up to me."

Stilts laughed and they headed out. Scatter turned and waved bye to Chatter and the newsies before she followed the other two out the door.

A/N: I bet your wondering where Tornado is? All in good time, ladies and gentlemen, all in good time.


	14. Tornado's news

Ch. 14

Stilts lead the way as the three of them headed toward the bridge. Scatter was silent once again as she thought about how much Josh had changed since the incident with David. She knew that what she had done was wrong, but raping and killing her? That wasn't like the Josh she remembered. She shook her head trying to forget about her past as they neared the bridge.

She looked up as they approached the bridge and noticed a solitary figure up ahead, standing on the ledge of the bridge. She gasped as they got closer and the figure turned towards them; her face full of sadness, and they could see her crying.

"Tornado? What are you doing? Come down here and talk to me, please!" Scatter pleaded as she ran towards the ledge. Scatter stopped and looked up at her worriedly. Tornado looked at her for what seemed like forever before she spoke.

"My brother has a terminal illness. He's dying, Scatter. The only person I have in this world is gonna be gone in a few short months."

Scatter's heart broke for her new friend as she thought what it would be like if she lost Chatter. She had only met Bumlets briefly but he seemed like a nice guy. Why was this happening?

Tornado jumped down off the ledge and Stats and Scatter immediately hugged her as they all started crying. Stilts stood off to the side in shock, unwilling and unable to believe what Tornado said. Bumlets dying? It couldn't be. They had to get back. Stilts knew Spot would want to know this. Bumlets had been a Brooklyn newsie before he moved to Manhattan. Stilts turned his attention to Tornado as he thought about how she must be hurting. He joined the three of them in the hug as a couple of stray tears made their way down his face.

After a few minutes, Stilts pulled away and said they should get back. They all started walking, forming a circle around Tornado as if to shield her from any more pain. They walked quickly and soon the lodging house was in view.

As they got closer they saw Spot leaning against the building smoking a cigarette. He looked up and his eyes widened as he looked at Scatter and Tornado before returning to their usual cold, emotionless state. He looked at Stilts and jerked his head towards the door indicating they should talk inside. Spot headed in, followed by the others.

Stilts and Spot headed upstairs to Spot's room and closed the door. "What happened? "

Stilts took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he started talking. Spot stood there quietly as he listened to Stilts tell him about Josh and Bumlets. Stilts finished speaking and stood there as Spot started pacing. Stilts jumped a bit as Spot cursed and slammed his fist into the wall. He turned to look at Stilts, ignoring his obviously broken hand and told Stilts to bring Tornado to him.

Stilts walked out and headed downstairs looking for Tornado. He spotted her being comforted by Scatter and Stats in the corner. He walked over and told her Spot wanted to see her. Scatter looked up and smiled thinking Stilts was talking to her. Stilts smiled apologetically and held his hand out for Tornado. Scatter's heart sank a bit as she realized Stilts meant Tornado not her.

Stilts headed back upstairs with Tornado in tow and knocked on the door. Spot opened it and let Tornado inside. He lead her over to his bed as Stilts headed back downstairs. He sat next to her and put his arm around her as she turned her face to his chest and sobbed. After about five minutes, her tears subsided and she pulled away and looked at him. She put her hand up to his face and softly stroked his cheek as he stared at her. Slowly she leaned up and placed her lips on his. He stiffened in shock and then gradually kissed her back as someone knocked and opened the door.

Scatter gasped at the sight of them kissing. Spot pulled away and looked at Scatter in horror as he realized what he had just done. She turned and ran towards the stairs, tripping as she reached the stairs. She fell down the stairs and hit her head on the banister twice before the back of her head smacked against the floor as she landed. All the newsies ran towards her as Spot flew down the stairs when he saw her lying there in a pool of blood.

"OH MY GOD, SCATTER!!!!!" Stats screamed as she ran towards her friend. She turned to Spot who had lipstick on his mouth that matched the shade Tornado always wore. She stared at him furiously.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She screamed hysterically, punching him in the face. All the other newsies gasped as Spot's head flew back and his eyes flashed with fury. Rubbing his jaw, his anger faded as he realized it was all his fault. He started to speak, but stopped when he heard a whimper from Scatter.

He turned back to her and wondered if he should move her. He picked her up and started walking to the doctor's. It took about ten minutes to get there and the doctor let them in immediately. Dr. Johnson laid Scatter on a table and took a look at the back of her head. Spot paced the room worriedly as the doctor looked at her wounds. When the doctor was done, he turned to Spot.

"She might have a little bit of memory loss, but that's common with this type of head injury. She also has some minor cuts that need cleaning. There are a number of bruises and she will be sore for awhile, all in all she is one lucky girl. Spot nodded in relief but as he thought about why she fell, he muttered, "yeah, real lucky." The doctor looked at him, confused, then shrugged and turned away. Spot thanked the doctor, picked Scatter up and headed back.


	15. Spot's Apology

Ch. 15

As he entered the lodging house he heard a commotion coming from upstairs. He carried Scatter up there as the noise grew louder. He walked into his room to see Stats and Tornado fighting, and Stilts trying to break them up.

He walked over and laid Scatter down on his bed. He then turned his attention to the fight. He pushed Stilts aside and then pulled the girls apart, glaring at each of them until they stopped struggling. He spoke calmly but there was a underlying edge of anger to his voice.

"You two need to stop this. Scatter needs to rest, and she needs quiet to do so. Tornado, please go back to your room and we'll talk tomorrow. Stats, please do the same. Stilts I want you to find me an extra blanket and pillow."

They all nodded and left the room, Stats and Tornado glaring at each as they left.

Spot turned back to Scatter as waves of guilt washed over him. How could he be so stupid? It was bad enough that he kissed Tornado back, but to be caught by Scatter of all people? And to have it end the way it did? He covered her up with a blanket and turned as Stilts walked in with the pillow and blanket he had asked for. Stilts stood there for a moment unsure if he should say what had been on his mind since Scatter fell down the stairs. Spot started to get ready for bed when he noticed Stilts was still there. "You need something else?

Stilts stood there for a moment longer before finally speaking. "It wasn't your fault Spot. Kissing Tornado was dumb, yes, but you didn't make this happen. It was an accident."

Spot listened quietly as he felt a tiny flicker of hope and relief. He looked at Stilts and nodded. Stilts smiled and left the room.

Scatter opened her eyes and winced as the sun hit them. What had happened last night? She gasped as she remembered seeing Spot and Tornado kissing. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered what she felt when Spot looked at her with guilt plastered all over his face. She heard a groan and looked down. Spot! That must mean she was in his room, in his bed. At least he wasn't in bed with her. She heard him groan again and closed her eyes, not ready to talk to him yet. She heard him get up and she could tell he was standing over top of her. She felt something wet hit her cheek and heard him sniffle. Spot Conlon, crying? Because of her? She couldn't take it anymore, she opened her eyes and saw him look at her with such guilt and sadness that her heart ached for him. He turned away when he realized she was awake and looking at him. She stood up, ignoring the pain in her head and turned his face towards her. He had tears running down his face. She was shocked as she recalled what Tornado had said about him. Spot never let anyone see how he felt, and here he was crying? She wiped away his tears and smiled at him, before leaning in and kissing him. He immediately responded, wrapping his arms around her tightly. After a couple of minutes he pulled away, and looked into her eyes. She looked at him and finally spoke.

"I don't blame you Spot. Im not happy that you kissed her but I can forgive you for that. You guys dated for a long time and she was just dealt a huge emotional blow so I understand how it happened."

Spot smiled at her, glad she understood how the kiss had happened. He leaned in to kiss her but stopped as she started speaking again.

"However, should it happen again, I wont be so understanding." He grinned and nodded as she leaned in and kissed him once more. They kissed for a bit longer before she winced and put her hand to her head. He looked at her in concern.

"You should probably lay down."

"I will if you lay down next to me."

Chuckling, he agreed and they lay there until 9 am and they had to get up and sell papes. As they got up and got dressed, she noticed his bandaged hand.

"What happened?"

"My temper got the best of me and I punched a wall after finding out that someone almost killed you and Bumlets is dying."

Smiling, she kissed him, and said, "Lucky you told Stilts to keep an eye on me. He showed up just in time with the coppers."

Relief crossed his face and he leaned down. He put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you. I know we said to take it slow, but will you be my girl?"

She looked up at him trying to hide her shock. She was silent for a few minutes, then smiled and nodded. He grinned and they kissed for a bit, then hurried out to seel their papes.


	16. Bumlet's Request

Ch.16

Spot smiled as he sold his papes, his mind on the girl about 15 feet away. He was in awe of how fast she was selling her papes. Stilts had taught Scatter well. He finally sold his last pape and pulled out a cigarette, thinking quietly as he smoked.

His thoughts turned to what Scoop had told him the other night. He had suspected it for awhile but to have it confirmed threw him for a loop. He knew deep down that Lava was still upset by how things had ended between them, even thought it had been over 5 years ago. He couldn't believe that she was dating the leader of Queens newsies and had said nothing about it to him. Twitch was a good guy and things between Brooklyn and Queens had been peaceful since he had taken over as Queens leader. Still, he wished she would have told him.

Spot's thoughts were interrupted when he realized there was a hand waving in front of his face. He focused on the person in front of him and smiled, pulling her in close and pressing his lips to hers. She immediately kissed back and they stayed that way for awhile before he pulled away. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they headed towards the lodging house without saying a word.

Scatter was happy, really happy. Her headache had gone away and she was with the guy she wanted most. She glanced at him and he smirked as he noticed her blushing. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. She looked up and nodded, smiling.

They headed into the lodging house and went upstairs to his room. They made out for awhile, then stopped as someone knocked on the door. Scatter hurriedly straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair down as Spot went to open the door. The door swung open to reveal Tornado. She looked at Spot, then past him at Scatter.

"I need to talk to you two." Spot opened the door wider and let her in. She walked in and sat at a table in the corner. She took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"My brother wants me to help him write out a will. I don't know how to do something like this without becoming completely unglued. I need your help Spot, and yours too Scatter." Scatter and Spot looked at each other then back at Tornado. Scatter nodded and said she would help however she could. Spot did the same. Tornado smiled in relief and then started to cry as she realized once again that her brother was dying and she was forced to write out a will for him.

Spot and Scatter enveloped her in a hug and then they started writing the will.


	17. Spot breaks down

A/N: I realize that its highly unlikely that any of the newsies would create a will but hey I have creative liberty since this is my story. LOL. Hope you guys are enjoying it thus far and please continue to review. Ok on with the story.

Ch. 17

3 hours later Tornado had finished making the will to Bumlets specifications. She sat there silently, rereading it and making sure it was all correct before she took it to Brian Denton. He would make sure it was seen by a notary, making it official. Her hands shook as she once again thought about what this piece of paper in front of her meant. Scatter and Spot also sat in silence, watching Tornado do one of the hardest and bravest things she was most likely ever to do.

Spot leaned over and gently squeezed Tornado's hand as tears poured down her face in silence. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it again and cleared his throat before he finally spoke. His voice was hoarse and sounded oddly tight. Scatter realized by the tone of his voice he was fighting the urge to cry.

"Tornado, I think you should move to the Manhattan borough for now. You should be able to spend as much time with Bumlets as you can before...," his voice trailed off as he was unable to voice the terrible truth. Tornado nodded, stood up and walked out the door, heading toward the female bunk room.

Scatter turned to Spot after Tornado left, but he wouldn't look at her. She started crying silently when she saw his shoulders shaking. He was crying and he didn't want her to see him like that. She gently touched his shoulder and he turned to her, his face wet with tears. His eyes were the coldest shade of silver, completely devoid of all happiness. She wrapped her arms around him and they held tight to each other as they both sat there crying.

Finally Spot pulled away and looked down at her. She looked up at him smiling a little as she saw some of the blue coming back into his eyes. She gently wiped away his tears and he did the same for her. He cleared his throat and stood up.

"I think I should walk Tornado to Manhattan tonight. Do you want to come with me?" She nodded and walked over to him.

"I'm gonna go see if Tornado wants any help packing. You should probably talk to Stats. I think she's still furious with you and angry at Tornado."

He nodded, thinking about how hard she had punched him. Scatter was right of course. He needed to fix things between him, Stats and Tornado. He walked out of his room and down the stairs. He spotted Stats immediately. She was playing a game of poker and laughing at something Skunk had said. Her laugh died away as she noticed Spot walking up and anger flashed threw her eyes as he stood there.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly. His own eyes narrowed in anger, returning to their cold silver color. "Outside, now!" She looked more closely at him, noticing the dried tears stains on his face. Her expression softened and she nodded as he jerked his head towards the door. She got up and followed him as he stalked towards the door.

Once they got outside, he grabbed her hard by both arms and pushed her against the wall. She let out a frightened squeak as he glared at her and then to her surprise, he sighed and turned away. He turned back to her and stared at her quietly before finally speaking.

"I never meant for Scatter to get hurt. Tornado kissed me and I kissed her back. I don't have those feelings for Tornado anymore. Scatter just happened to come in the room at the wrong time. I know it shouldn't have happened, but I can't change it. I know your angry at Tornado but please be nice to her. She just had to write out her brother's will today."

She listened quietly, her anger dissipating as he spoke. She shivered in fear as he once again approached her, his face going back to that emotionless mask he always wore.

"As for what just happened in there, I cant have you disrespecting me in front of my newsies. I need them to know I'm still in charge." With that said, he raised his hand and slapped her hard, then turned and walked back inside.


	18. The Delancey Brothers Attack

A/N: I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY REVIEWS FOR AWHILE SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE READING MY STORY OR NOT, BUT I NEED SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ABOUT HOW I PORTRAYED SPOT IN CH. 17. I FEEL LIKE I MIGHT HAVE MADE HIM A BIT TOO SOFT. I NEED SOME INSIGHT INTO THIS FROM AN UNBIASED READER'S POINT OF VIEW. PLEASE HELP THE SLIGHTLY CRAZY AUTHOR-(THAT WOULD BE ME, LMAO)- MAKE HER STORY THE BEST IT CAN BE.

REVIEWS PPL, REVIEWS. PLEASE AND THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

Ch. 18

"Spot!" Spot walked back inside and immediately heard someone calling his name. He turned toward the voice and narrowed his eyes as Scoop ran up to him, her face drawn tight with worry. She opened and closed her mouth twice before finally being able to speak.

"Spot, it's the Delanceys. They caught Skunk and Vibe over in Manhattan earlier this afternoon and worked them over pretty good. Les was with them but he managed to get away and ran to Jack and Davey. Jack got word to me as soon as he found out, and I ran here as soon as I could."

Spot's hands curled into fists as she finished the story and he looked around for Stilts and Lava. He found Stilts in the corner but couldn't see Lava anywhere. He nodded at Scoop then headed upstairs to look for Lava. He found her in the female bunk room with Tornado and Scatter. They were laughing a bit but stopped immediately when they saw the anger in Spot's eyes. Lava walked over to him and asked what was wrong. He ignored her for the moment, remembering that he was supposed to walk Tornado to Manhattan. He thought to himself for a minute, realizing that the timing would be perfect. He could walk Tornado there and check on Skunk and Vibe at the same time. He turned to Lava and spoke quietly.

"Lava, we need to talk in the hall for a minute." She followed him out of the room and he stopped suddenly and turned to her.

"It's Skunk and Vibe. Delanceys caught them in Manhattan and roughed them up a bit. I need you and Stilts to come with me, Scatter, and Tornado to Manhattan tonight."

Lava listened quietly and nodded right away as he finished speaking. Her hands shook as she filled with rage at the thought of 2 young and innocent boys getting attacked by 2 much older and rougher men. He noticed her reaction and knew that she would be a good asset in the inevitable fight that was gonna occur between them and the Delanceys.

"I'm in. They do not get away with this Spot!" She declared fiercely. He smiled a bit, glad that she was coming along. Lava always was a good fighter, she was quick and fierce and naturally skilled with the daggers and slingshot she always carried with her. Spot told her to find Stilts and fill him in. She headed downstairs as he walked back into the room to tell Tornado and Scatter what was going on.

30 minutes later the five of them were on their way to Manhattan, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They arrived in Manhattan and headed to the lodging house. Spot walked in front as they approached the front door of the LH, never noticing the person in the alley until a shadow caught his eye. He turned around and threw the person up against a wall before realizing it was only Race.

"Easy there, Spot! What's the matter, and why are you here so late?" The short Italian boy asked, wincing in pain as Spot let him go.

"Sorry Race. Skunk and Vibe were attacked by the Delanceys. I came to ensure the Delanceys get what's coming to them. Plus, I was hoping Jack would let Tornado move to Manhattan in light of what's going on."

Race nodded, his usually cheerful face overcome with sadness before he smiled and led them inside. Once inside they were spotted immediately by Jack, who headed over and took Spot aside. They whispered for a few minutes before Jack led them to a room off to the left.

Scatter and Lava gasped in horror when they saw how hurt the boys were. Skunk had a broken leg and arm along with a lot of cuts and bruises. Vibe was unconscious and had 3 broken ribs and a broken arm.

Skunk tried to smile when he saw them walk in but it was more of a grimace as it hurt him too much to smile fully. Lava, Tornado and Scatter started crying as they looked at the two of them so broken and bloody. Spot and Stilts just stood there, momentarily frozen by anger and guilt. The only thought that ran through Spot's mind was, 'How could I let this happen?'

Skunk looked up at Spot and said,-almost like he was channeling Vibe's gift- "Spot, its not your fault. Me and Vibe wanted to go visit Les. It isn't your fault."

"I should've been more aware of where you guys were. I could've done something to stop this."

Skunk started to speak but was overcome by a spasm of pain so bad it caused him to pass out. Spot stared at the 2 of them for a minute before turning and walking away. Slowly, they all followed suit except for Scatter, who bent down and kissed each boy on the forehead. She then turned and walked out.

As they all walked back into the main room, they all split up and went their own separate ways for awhile. Scatter went off to pry Chatter and Blink apart for awhile. Tornado went to talk to Jack, who agreed right away and found her an empty bunk. Then she headed off to find Bumlets and tell him the good news. Lava joined a poker game that Race had started and Spot and Stilts stood off to the side talking to Jack about getting revenge the next day.

2 hours later, they all started getting ready for bed when it was discovered that they were one bed short because of Vibe and Skunk. Jack stood up and announced that one bed was gonna need to be shared. Chatter and Blink looked at each other and she blushed, which Scatter immediately noticed and gave her a stern look. Scatter then turned to Spot who was looking down at her hopefully, obviously wanting them to be the ones who shared. She sighed and refused to look at him. She could feel the uncertainty radiating from him as he placed his hand on her cheek, turning her face toward his. Their eyes locked and he bent down and softly brushed his lips against hers. He pulled away and she smiled up at him and nodded, giving in.


	19. Author's Note

A word from your extremely apologetic author. I have to go on a short hiatus from this story. Give me a couple of weeks and I promise I will make it up to you. Sorry all.


	20. Vibe wakes up

Ch. 19

It had been one week since Skunk and Vibe had been attacked. Spot had wanted to attack right away but Jack talked him into waiting until Oscar and Morris had let their guards down. Spot spent his mornings in Brooklyn selling papes then crossed the bridge in the afternoons to check on his 2 newsies. Skunk was getting better day by day but Vibe had only woken up once for about 5 minutes before slipping into unconsciousness again. That had been 3 days ago. Sometimes he would twitch or moan, but mostly he just lay there, silent and still. Scatter sat by his bed holding his hand for hours at night until Spot came and coaxed her away.

Scatter was once again sitting by Vibe's bed holding his hand and talking to Skunk who was almost back to normal. She gasped as she felt Vibe's hand twitch in her own, and his eyes opened and focused on her. She smiled down at him then called out for Spot. He appeared in the doorway and sighed with relief when he saw that Vibe's eyes were open. Vibe smiled a bit at Spot and Scatter and asked for some water. Vibe took some sips of water and turned to Skunk, glad to see his friend was okay. Skunk was crying a bit, happy that he hadn't lost his best friend. With Spot's help, Vibe sat up in bed as the Manhattan newsies all traipsed in and out, glad that he was okay. Scatter and Spot headed to bed after making sure Vibe didn't need anything.

Scatter turned to Spot once they were alone and kissed him fiercely, all the passion she had kept buried this week pouring out and fueling the desire each of them felt. He gently grazed her cheek and pushed her down onto the bed as he removed his shirt and set his cane aside and joined her on the bed. They resumed kissing until neither one could think clearly. He pulled away reluctantly and they just looked at each other, torn between going further and stopping. He kissed her gently and put his arm around her and pulled her close and they soon fell asleep.


	21. Plan of Attack

Ch. 20

Scatter slowly opened her eyes and focused on the face that was watching her sleep. Spot smiled when he realized she was awake and leaned in for a kiss. She returned his kiss eagerly and then put her head on his chest, sighing contentedly. They stayed in bed for awhile, than Spot reluctantly pulled away and got up.

"I need to go check on Vibe, then I'm gonna sell in Manhattan today. Jack already said it was ok with him. You want to come with me today?"

She smiled up at him and nodded. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up and they headed to the washroom. After they had gotten dressed, they headed in to check on Vibe. They sat and talked to him for awhile but eventually had to go sell papes. Scatter and Spot headed over to the Manhattan Distribution Center and bought their papes. They headed to Central Park to sell together. Three hours later Spot was leaning against a tree waiting for Scatter to finish. She finally sold her last pape and they headed to Tibby's to meet Jack and the Manhattaners. They ran into Race as he was heading in and Scatter asked him how his day had been.

Race scowled, "I don't wanna talk about it." Scatter gave him a hug, hoping that would make him feel a bit better. She turned just in time to see Spot scowling at Race. She arched an eyebrow at his jealous expression and gave him a kiss. They headed in to Tibby's and sat at a table with Jack, David, Les, Blink, and Chatter.

After they finished eating, Spot pulled Jack aside. "I think the time has come for revenge on the Delancey Brothers. We've waited for over a week and I think its been long enough. Its time. We do it tonight."

Jack nodded in agreement and they spit shook to seal the deal. Spot walked back to the table and asked Scatter to go for a walk with him. They walked around Central Park as he told her about the decision to go after Oscar and Morris that night. She listened quietly, her face drawn tight with worry as all the possible things that could happen ran through her mind. He could tell she was worried about him getting hurt. He tried to get her to look at him but she kept turning away.

"Scatter, look at me please. What Oscar and Morris did, I can't let them get away with it. I'm Spot Conlon, the King of Brooklyn. People see me as the strong, tough, most feared newsie in New York. I have to do this. Jack is going to be there, along with his newsies and mine too. We want to show them what its like to be afraid and ganged up on."

She nodded and finally looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know Spot. I get why you need to do this. Its not just you that needs this to happen. I want vengeance for what they did. I want them to be in pain just like Vibe and Skunk are. I'm just scared for you. Outnumbered or not, they aren't going to just lie down and let you attack them without fighting back. Please, make sure Stilts is watching out for you."

He nodded. "Good. That's enough talk about the upcoming fight." She smiled and laced her fingers through his and they walked back to Tibby's.


	22. Spot's Revelation

Ch. 21

It was late afternoon, and Spot had headed to Brooklyn to round up his newsies. Scatter was talking to Jack about the upcoming ambush.

"Jack, let me go along please? I want to fight too."

"Scatter, I can't make that decision. That's up to Spot. You're his girl and his newsie. I would gladly let you, but Spot is very protective of both his girls and everything connected to Brooklyn. I'll mention it to him when he gets back."

Scatter sighed and turned away, deciding to join the poker game Race had organized. She played for awhile, her eyes shifting to the front door every few minutes. Just as she was about to give up on him, Spot walked in followed by Stilts, Lava, Stats and about 10 others she recognized as Spot's newsies but she didn't know their names. Spot caught her eye and smiled but headed over to talk to Jack, followed by Stilts and Lava. Stats spotted Race and headed over and sat in his lap, giving him a kiss. He kissed her back for a few minutes, then she sat down in the chair next to him and motioned to be dealt in.

Scatter tried to concentrate on the game again but she kept watching Spot and Jack talking. She saw Spot arguing with Jack and he kept glancing at her as Jack was talking.

She finally saw them spit shake and he headed her way.

"We need to talk," he said gruffly. She stared up at him, noticing his eyes were more silver blue than the dark blue they usually were. She nodded and followed him outside.

She followed him to the statue that the Manhattan newsies were always hanging around, waiting for him to speak. He turned to her and sighed.

"Scatter, I can't let you go with me tonight. I know you want to, but I can't risk Oscar and Morris doing anything to you. Once they realize you're my girl, it gives them leverage over me. You weren't around during the strike but they tried to attack Sarah, David's and Les's sister and Jack's girlfriend just because she meant something to Jack. If they find out that you're my weakness, they will try and go after you. I can't let that happen. My newsies won't let that happen either. It's not official yet, but they can sense that you're the queen, the one I love."

She gasped as she heard him say he loved her, her mind reeling from that revelation.

He LOVED her??? She was starting to feel the same way, but they had talked about going slow so she never brought it up. She felt his eyes on her, but couldn't look at him yet. Was she ready for this? To be the Queen of Brooklyn and take all that came with that? She smiled slowly as the truth finally hit her fully. HE LOVED HER!!! She looked up at him and smiled.

"I love you too Spot. I know we said we were gonna go slow, but I guess fate had something else in mind for us." She stepped closer and kissed him fiercely. He eagerly returned the kiss, putting his hand against the statue for balance as heat flashed through his body. She moaned as he gently kissed her neck, but pulled away before things got too heated.

"We should get back. Its getting later and you will be leaving soon."

He smiled and put his arm around her as they headed to the lodging house.


	23. Payback

Ch. 22

Scatter, Chatter, and Tornado watched as the people they cared about most, headed out to find the Delanceys. Scatter decided to check on Vibe and Skunk. She needed something else to think about other than the fight.

Spot gripped his cane tightly in his left hand as he watched Jack and Race approach the Delanceys. Oscar and Morris remained oblivious to their presence of course. Spot reached for his slingshot as Jack gave the signal to attack. Lava threw a dagger, pinning Morris' shirt to the distribution wagon. Spot and Stilts let go with their slingshots, as the rest of the guys crept in and surrounded Oscar and Morris.

Oscar whistled shrilly when he saw that they were surrounded and about 20 people poured out from behind the distribution gates. Spot grinned in satisfaction. 'now this is gonna be a heck of a fight' he thought to himself. Spot strode forward with his newsies, and nodded to Lava, who threw another dagger which embedded itself in the leg of the guy Race was fighting. Race grinned at Lava, and punched the guy in the face before getting kicked in the gut by another guy. Stats cried out and ran to help him, but was grabbed by someone else and thrown to the ground. Blink helped her up and she kicked the guy between the legs and gave him a left hook to his jaw. She ran over to Race and helped him up and the 2 of them noticed that there were 3 guys coming at them. Blink and Mush came over and they finished off those 3 in no time.

Spot was fighting 2 guys at once, he swung his cane like a baseball bat and knocked one of them out, then he punched the other one so hard he fell to the ground unconscious. Jack and Oscar were throwing punches at each other. Jack had blood coming out of the corner of his mouth and Oscar's nose was broken badly by the looks of it. Jack finally managed to get the best of Oscar and he smiled as Oscar lay there, moaning in pain. They all laughed as they looked around and saw that they had kicked some butt. As they walked away Lava stepped on Oscar's hand and laughed as he cried out.

Scatter and Chatter were playing cards with Vibe and Skunk when everyone returned.

Scatter was worried when she didn't see Spot right away. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him saunter in like it was any other day. She jumped up and ran to him and kissed him passionately, glad he was ok.

"I told you it would be ok. I'm not going anywhere." He smirked at her and she lightly smacked him for being so cocky.

"Ok Mr. Ego, I know you're the great and powerful King of Brooklyn, but you're not invincible so forgive me for worrying." He laughed and they headed to bed after saying goodnight to everyone else.


	24. Bumlet's Wish List

Ch. 23:

The next morning, Scatter was trying to apply first aid to the guys who got hurt. She thought Race might have cracked a rib, and it looked like Stats had sprained her wrist. Spot had some cuts and bruises, and Jack was sporting a nice shiner on his left cheek, below his eye. None of the newsies were hurt too bad luckily enough. She finished wrapping Stats wrist and checked on Vibe and Skunk before heading off to find Spot.

She found him sitting on his bed, smoking a cigarette and seemingly lost in thought.

She sat down next to him and leaned against him. He kissed her cheek and wrapped his arm around her, but still seemed distracted.

"Spot, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about Tornado and Bumlets. I can't believe he'll be gone so soon. He's only 18! He shouldn't be dying yet. Its not fair!" Scatter nodded sadly and hugged Spot, agreeing with him 100. Why did bad things always have to happen to good people? Scatter smiled as an idea came to her. She stood up and motioned for Spot to follow her as she started looking for Tornado. Once she found Tornado, she led them on a hunt for Bumlets. She finally found him in the bunk room, talking to Skittery.

"There you are Bumlets. Come with us, there's some things you need to do." He stood and followed the three of them unsure about what was going on. Scatter led them all to where Tornado had put Bumlet's will. She pulled it out and held it up.

"This is hard to say, so I'm just going to say it. Bumlets, I know you are dying, but there must be something you want to accomplish before you pass on. Things you've never done but always wanted to do? I propose that we help you do some of the things you wanted to do. I think if we do this, it might help relieve some of the unfairness about dying so soon. I don't really know you, but this is what my mother did when she learned she was likely to die early due to bad medical history in her family. We might not be able to do everything you always dreamed of doing, but we will try. What do you say?"

She looked at him, hoping she hadn't crossed the line. He had been staring at the floor while she spoke, but finally looked up and at his sister. She nodded and his gaze shifted to Spot and Scatter. Scatter held her breath, and then smiled when he slowly nodded and smiled at her. Tornado was crying in gratitude and hugged Scatter for thinking of such a thoughtful idea. Spot, likewise, was proud of his girl for being so kind and caring about someone she barely knew. The four of them sat down and started making a list of things Bumlets wanted to do and see while he still could.


	25. Long time

Hey I know it's been a long time since I added to my story..honestly I'm thinking about scrapping it and starting again. It was my first story and admittedly it wasn't that great and I was torn between what I wanted to write and what the readers said in reviews. if people like this story then I might continue but just re-do some chapters. hope I still have some fans out there who will respond


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